Various forms of tool and storage boxes are presently manufactured for support from the upper marginal edges of the sidewalls of pickup trucks. Various fastening structures are provided for securing such tool and storage boxes upon load bed sidewalls, but most of these structures require alteration of the load bed sidewalls, such as by drilling holes therethrough for the reception of anchor fasteners. However, the forming of fastener receiving bores in the upper marginal edges of load bed sidewalls detracts from the resale value of trucks and conventional threaded fasteners secured through sheet metal sidewall upper marginal edge portions tend to eventually upwardly displace the surrounding portions of the sheet metal with the result that the securement of tool and storage boxes thereto becomes loosened. Further, this upward distortion of the sheet metal around fastener receiving bores further reduces the resale value of a truck.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved form of tool or storage box anchor for use in securing a tool or storage box to upper sidewall portions of a pickup truck load bed. Accordingly, the present invention resides in the provision of an anchor assembly for removable securement in an upwardly opening existing stake receiving socket, which stake receiving sockets are provided on substantially all pickup truck load beds.
Although various forms of socket receiving anchors heretofore have been provided such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,595,125, 3,623,690, 3,779,502 and 4,191,108, many of these previously known forms of load bed stake socket receivable anchors are not constructed in a manner such that considerable anchoring force for the support of a heavy tool or storage box from an associated load bed sidewall is provided.